Archive For April 2011
There are two things that are important in our modern hectic lives: speed and economy. It’s the same with regard to food. We might not want to spend time slaving for hours in the kitchen, and perhaps we have more financial anxiety than ever before. Yes, we could go out for cheap (and often nasty)…
I have often said, and indeed at length, that I do not subscribe to the philosophy that French food is best. In my humble opinion it stands shoulder to shoulder with the other classic cuisines of China and India. Each one offers something unique and distinct. There is much to recommend French food, however. If…
Some of us are lucky enough to have or at least remember our own grans, grannies, nanas, nans or nannies. I am sure every nationality will have its own collection of fond names for those ladies. I have been interviewing chefs for my forthcoming book, and a good number of them mention the influence their…
The very title Rose Petal Jam evokes shimmering heat-hazed visions of meadows, trees, clear sky, and perfume wafting on a warm breeze. One could be anywhere: England on an August afternoon, perhaps Italy when the world is quiet after lunch. But this book concerns itself with Poland, and it is enticing. Rose Petal Jam –…
Fish. It’s topical. There has been a raft of TV programmes highlighting the horrific waste of fish as it’s thrown back dead into the sea – wrong kind of fish or too much for that crew’s quota. So it’s been brought to our attention that fish is a precious resource, but one which we are…
It’s obvious that those visiting my site love food. Mostly Food and Cocktails gives a clue with its name that the bias will be in the direction of meals, recipes and ingredients; but the ‘Mostly’ opens the door to other possibilities, and it’s travel that is standing on that literary threshold. People who love to…
We don’t have months and months of good weather in Britain so we make the best of it when the sun does shine: DIY centres are targeted by those looking for charcoal, butchers are full of hunters of the great British banger or the ubiquitous burger, and fire stations are on alert. But there must…
Oxford Street has its chain retail outlets and stalls stocked with goods that no self-respecting adolescent tourist would want to live without: plenty of plastic items embellished with Union Jacks and these days Kate and William tea-towels. On the other hand, Marylebone Village truly has an ambiance of yesteryear. Boutique shops, artisanal food producers, cafés…
Henry VIII dissolved all of England’s monastic properties in 1540, because he couldn’t get his way with the Catholic church and the ‘Bishop of Rome’ with regard to his divorce. Much of Westminster Abbey’s ‘Convent Garden’ was granted to John Russell who was the 1st Earl of Bedford. The area has changed name to the…
It’s a cookbook by the celebrated Indian TV chef Sanjeev Kapoor, so it’s bound to be full of delicious innovation and temptation. But my dear reader will be thinking the master has overstepped the mark with this one: The Yellow Chilli Cookbook? How many recipes contain yellow chilli? Perhaps a timely word of culinary explanation…
Pronounced ‘keen-wah’, quinoa is a frequently overlooked and relatively unknown superfood, containing a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids. It is gluten-free and a great source of protein. Derived from the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name ‘kinwa’, this ancient grain originated in the Andes. It was successfully cultivated for human consumption 3000…
We know we should eat more fish. It’s good for us. On the other hand, perhaps eating fish and chips three times each week might not be a good diet choice. Not many people can afford to eat in fish restaurants so frequently, so that leaves the home-cooked option. The problem of fish sustainability and…